Will make Maharashtra startup capital: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said the blueprint of 'Start-up India, Standup India' initiative, being unveiled today, would be government's New Year gift to the entrepreneurship landscape in the country.PTI | January 17, 2016, 12:40 IST

MUMBAI: In sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Start-up India' initiative, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured small businesses and venture investors that he will take necessary steps to make Mumbai and Maharashtra the capital for startups.

"You have given me a mission. In the coming days, we will make Maharashtra and Mumbai, capital of startups," Fadnavis said while inaugurating a seed investment and innovation platform.

He said the blueprint of 'Start-up India, Standup India' initiative, being unveiled today, would be the government's New Year gift to the entrepreneurship landscape in the country.

"It is said that nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. But what if a powerful idea is not supported by a powerful ecosystem? The idea goes elsewhere. That's what we have been experiencing," he said.

"I think aspiring Indian youth is so powerful, and they just need a little bit of hand-holding to transform their ideas into reality. The blueprint of PM Modi's 'Start-up India, Standup India' would be the government's new year gift to the entrepreneurship landscape," he said.

The chief minister observed that world over Indians have contributed to building very successful startups, but they had to go to Silicon Valley or Singapore because India lacked the infrastructure and ecosystem.

"We need to create ecosystems at more places, and the Prime Minister understands we are a youthful country. Compared to China, Silicon Valley or Singapore, we account for only 10% of startups, but we are one of the most youthful startup nation," he said.

Referring to the immense energy and potential of entrepreneurs, he said that as a fast developing nation, we have a great demand for innovation.

"This is an immense energy we have, which needs a channel. We have a nation of more than a billion people embracing technology. If we develop an ecosystem to shape this power the journey towards being a developed nation will be accelerated more," he said.

Fadnavis also said there is tremendous opportunity for startups during developing Smart Cities in the country.

Sponsored Stories

Subscribe to our Newsletters

In an interview with ETCIO, Kedar Upadhye, Jt President & Global CFO, Cipla, throws light on some innovative IT projects that Cipla has implemented,as part of its digital transformation strategy, to fuel business growth.

Sudhanshu Pokhriyal, President of Textiles at Raymond, firmly believes that digital transformation is a top-down approach. Taking the lead on the initiative, he has devised an innovative digital strategy that enhances customer experience while helping retailers in their business.